How many lineal champions would you favor Alexandar Povetkin to defeat

Most consider Hart to be the lineal champion.

• Jim Jeffries, who had recently retired as World Heavyweight Champion, was the referee. Before the fight, he stated that the winner of Hart-Root was entitled to the title of heavyweight champion of the world.
• The fighters split $5,000, with the winner getting 65 percent and the loser 35 percent.
• There was a crowd of 5,000.
• Root, who had defeated Hart by a six-round decision in 1902, was a 3 to 1 favorite.
• Hart was floored by a right to the jaw in the seventh round.
• Root was knocked out by a right to the stomach in the twelfth round.
• Lou Houseman, Root's manager, called the knockout punch "a fluke."
• Four days after the fight, Jim Jeffries was quoted as saying: "I do not wish the public to get the idea that I am trying to make Marvin Hart the champion. I am doing nothing of the sort. It is not for me to say who shall be champion. It might be well, however, for the public to consider Hart, say, as the champion pro tem. Put him on probation. This would stir up the now slumbering army of heavyweights and result in a number of hard-fought battles which would eventually establish the right of Hart or some other man to the championship honors beyond the question of a doubt."

Jack Root in on film, and much to my surprise he looks pretty good. I forget vs whom, but maybe I should review it to make sure it wasn't the first Hart fight. Hart as far as I know is not on film.

 

Fun fact, Johnson the colored champion for his fight with Hart.

Most historians consider Hart a lineal champion. There is time when a champion retires with his belt. When this happens, the top 1 contender usually fights the 2nd or 3rd man, with the winner being the new lineal champion.

When Jeffries retired, Hart and Johnson were likely #1 and #2. Hart won the match.

It also happened when Tunney was the champion. Schmeling did not beat Tunney to become the lineal champion.

 

Jeffries was only the referee. He did NOT pick who was fighting for the title the people who put up money, sanctioned the fight, and promoted it did.

Lineal title does not always mean the man who beat the man. If it did, Tunney tool the lineal title to his grave as he retired with it and the concept ends there.

Marvin Hart beat the best black contender in Johnson early 1905, who as I pointed out held the colored heavyweight champion at the time of the match. Then he defeat the best white contender in Root a few months later.

Leading up to these two fights, Hart bettered O'Brien, Ruhlin, and Choynski. Clearly he earned the right to fight for the title.

Jeffries said he'd fight Hart after he defeated Johnson if the money was there, but it wasn't and people saw that as a mismatch, so he stayed retired.

Therefore Hart by merit and logic became the next lineal champion.